Automatic adjustment device for railway brake mechanism.



. "r R. HARRINGTON & B. W. S. YOUNG.

ADJUSTMENT DEVICE FOR RAILWAY BRAKE MBOHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22,

jail??? [4621mm SJ 0. 72% 1 01 226 Patented Jam 11, 1910.

ATNT F ROBERT HARRINGTON AND EDWIN W. S. YOUNG, OF PIETERMARITZBURG, NATAL.

AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENT DEVICE FOR RAILWAY BRAKE MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itv known that we, ROBERT HAnRINcTon and EDWIN WILLIAM SYDNEY YOUNG, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at Pietermaritzburg, in the Colony of Natal, Africa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Connected with Automatic Adjustment Devices for Railway Brake Mechanism, of.

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for automatically adjusting the brake rods upon railway vehicles, and more particularly to vehicles fitted with brakes worked by vacuum, steam or compressed air.

An important object of the invention is to provide for an automatic shortening of the main pull rods of brakes on railway vehicles and to prevent the operation of the apparatus until sufficient play is found between the brake blocks through wear or other causes.

According to the present invention the moment suiiicient wear has occurred to lessen the power of the brake, the parts working in unison when the power is applied, automatically take up the space or clearance caused by the wear, to the extent necessary to throw the brake blocks into their proper relation to the wheels and maintain them there, thereby insuring a properly adjusted brake at all times.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one mode of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a side view of the automatic take up mechanism as applied to the pull rod of the brake. Fig. 2 is a section on the line AB, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 1 are two detail views of one rod while Figs. 5 and 6 are two detail views of the other.

In carrying out the invention according to one mode, one rod, a, is provided with an enlarged end which is formed with two sets of teeth, I) c, the set, I), being preferably arranged along its upper edge, while the set, 0, is arranged on the lower edge of a slot, (Z. The other rod, 6, is provided with a forked end, f, which embraces the enlarged end of the rod, a, and is fitted with a pawl, g, adapted to engage the teeth, 0. Another pawl, 72, is pivoted upon a stationary bracket, 2', which is provided with one or more supporting rollers, it, upon which the enlarged end of the rod, a, may slide.

In operation the moment power is applied to the rods, a and e, to bring the brake Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 22, 1909.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

Serial No. 519,118.

blocks into engagement with the wheels of the railway vehicle, the rods work in unison and act as a rigid rod owing to the pawl, g, engaging the teeth, 0 the pawl, 71, in the meantime remaining neutral. WVhen the power is relieved, the pawl, h, engages in the teeth, I), and prevents the rod, a, working backwardly except by the amount allowed due to the clearance between the pawl, h, and the bottom of the tooth, b, in which it happens to be engaged, that is to say corresponding to the clearance allowed for the brake blocks, the pawl, 9, during this operation being free to rise and slip over the teeth, 0, so that it may take up its proper position in relation to the rod, a, ready for the next application of the brakes.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that the rod, (2, is shortened when wear of the brake blocks occurs and power is applied; also the same applies to rod 6, when the power is relieved, the rod, a, being shortened by means of the pawl, h, and the rod, 6, by means of the pawl, 9.

An important feature of the invention is that the self adjusting rods may be simply fixed in the position of the main pulling rods.

Having now described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is 1. An automatic take up device for railway brakes, comprising two rods, two sets of ratchet teeth upon the end of one rod a pawl for engaging one set, a stationary support for the pawl and a second pawl for engaging the other set of teeth said second pawl being carried by the end of the other rod, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. An automatic take up device for railway brakes, comprising two rods, an enlarged end on one rod having two sets of teeth, a stationary bracket for supporting said end, a pawl pivoted on said bracket for engaging one set of teeth, a forked end on the other rod adapted to embrace the enlarged end of the first mentioned rod and a aawl carried by said forked end engaging the other set of teeth, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. An automatic take up device for railway brakes, comprising two rods, an enlarged end on one rod having a central slot and two sets of ratchet teeth, one set being situated on the upper edge of said end and the other on the lower bounding edge of the slot therein astationary bracket havingantifriction rollers for supporting said end having a pivoted pawl for engaging the teeth on the aforesaid upper edge and a forked end in the other rod adapted to embrace the said enlarged end and having a pawl situated in the aforesaid slot and engaging the teeth adjacent thereto, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4. An automatic take up device for railway brakes comprising two rods, two sets of ratchet teeth on one rod one set being deep in comparison with the other set a pivoted pawl engaging the deep set of teeth, stationary means for supporting said pawl, and a second pawl pivoted in the end of the other rod for engaging the shallower set of teeth, substantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth.

In testimony whereof we aHiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

R. HARRINGTON. E. \V. S. YOUNG.

lVitnesses F. G. BARNES, C. V. MURRAY. 

